By ‘Mayak’ (Beacon) Radio

23.10.2002

‘Mayak’ Radio has published a decoded call to the Moscow rescue service immediately after the seizure of the Palace of Culture (Dubrovka theatrical center).  One of the hostages was calling.

We offer you this decoded conversation:

“Rescue service, this is operator 300, hello.”

(A young man speaking): “Hello.”

“Yes, I hear you, please speak.”

“This is no joke.  We are hostages at ‘Nord-Ost’, in the theater.”

“Yes…”

“Metro Proletarskaya, in the theater.”

“The address, please.”

“See, I don’t know the address.  It’s the musical ‘Nord-Ost’.”

“Yes-yes.”

“I think it’s on Kurochkin Street, building 6 or 7.”

“How many hostages did they take, how many people?”

“Hostages?  The whole auditorium.”

“What are they demanding?”

“What are they demanding?  That everyone’s taken out of Chechnya.”

“Okay.  I understood you.  Don’t hang up right now.”

“Sorry, but if they cut me off, I’ll have to hang up.”

(PAUSE)

“Young man, tell me what’s happening right now in the auditorium?”

“In the auditorium?  Well, nothing really, everyone’s trying to call someone right now, but not everyone is able.  And the gunmen are walking around with weapons.”

“They won’t let you go, but can you move freely about the hall?”

“They won’t let us up, we have to sit.  However we were sitting, that’s how we stay, just as we were watching the show.  On the edges, where there are folding chairs, there are women standing, all with booby traps.”

“Standing how?”

“Booby trapped.  All the women are booby-trapped.  In the center there’s a booby-trapped explosive device.”

“And the women are standing next to it?”

“Yes, near it and all about the perimeter, the whole auditorium.”

“The women are standing in the aisles?”

“In the aisles and all around.  Standing, sort of.”

“Did they separate out the women?”

“No, the women are theirs.  They’re booby-trapped and carrying guns, sort of.  Kamikazes… (Unintelligible)… unreal, but it seems we’ll all be lying here.  And it’s no joke.”

END OF TAPE